Meet the Members: Mark Billingsley

“I plan to be writing and publishing for the rest of my life.”

— Mark Billingsley  

A renewed member of the Writers’ League since January 2020, Mark works in Abilene during the week, but travels home to Leander on the weekends.  

Scribe: In what genre(s) do you write?

Mark Billingsley: Professionally, I am a grant writer. I taught English and Journalism for 16 years, so all three areas of specialization have informed my writing. I began a fiction novel several years ago while attending a two-week New Jersey Writing Project training but did not finish it. I ran across rough drafts somewhere. Maybe I can resurrect it. I hope to write feature articles for magazines while also doing research and writing biographies in the short term. So both fiction and non-fiction would be the answer, I suppose.

Scribe: What author would you most like to have a drink with, and what’s the first question you would ask them? 

MB: J.R.R. Tolkien. I would ask him what he thought of the movie adaptations of his books.

Scribe: If you were stranded on a deserted island, what book would you want to have with you to keep you sane?

MB: The Bible.

Scribe: What have you learned from your association with the Writers’ League?

MB: Well, I just started, so not much yet. I’m attending a training on Saturday, and my wife and I hope to take advantage of more opportunities in the future. Once I have a good draft of one of my books I hope to set up a one-on-one appointment with WLT for feedback. As soon as I see a workshop on publishing, I’m there.

Scribe: Where do you see your writing taking you (or you taking it) in the future?

MB: I’d like to make a living at it so I can fully retire. Regardless, I plan to be writing and publishing for the rest of my life. Traveling, researching and writing will make a nice retirement hobby.

Scribe: Here at the Writers’ League, we love sharing book recommendations. What’s one Texas-related book that has come out within the past year that you couldn’t put down?

MB: I haven’t read a Texas-related book lately. Anything about the Beatles fits into the “unable to put down” category for me. In fact, a Beatles book is in my future, and since I’m a Texas boy, Texas will definitely be there.

Scribe: Is there anything else about you that you would like to share with the world? An opportunity for blatant self-promotion!

MB: My wife is the more creative one. I’m a good wordsmith. Hopefully we can combine talents and really come up with a special book in the future.

Thank you, Mark!

If you’re a Writers’ League member and you’d be interested in being interviewed for our Meet the Members feature, email us at member@writersleague.org for more information. It’s a great way for other members to get to know you and for you to share a bit about what you’re working on!

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